Thurles Information

A new and exiting publication, entitled ‘Pouldine School – Inné agus Inniu’, was launched in the Horse and Jockey Hotel, on Saturday Dec. 5th last, by His Grace the Most Rev. Dermot Clifford – Archbishop of Cashel and Emly.

This 340 page book was compiled and edited by a former Principal Teacher at the school – Liam Ó Donnchú. The book traces the story of the school from its foundation during the Great Famine years beginning in 1847, the Hedge schools that preceded it and all the developments in the old and new school, down through the decades.

The official name of the school is Moycarkey National School, but as it’s situated in the townland and at the famous crossroads of Pouldine it is better known by the latter.

It’s an area steeped in sport, especially the G.A.A., where hurling and athletics were to the fore since the early years of organised sport. This love of sport is reflected in the photos and pages of the book. Indeed, the photographic content forms a significant part, with some photos going back to the early years of the last century.

Some past pupils and teachers have recalled their memories of school-days at Pouldine and these add a very interesting and sometimes humorous dimension to the book. Many articles on the local history, archaeology and folklore of the parish are included, all suitably illustrated with photographs. Former Principal Teachers and School Managers are also profiled.

All in all, a thoroughly comprehensive record of Pouldine School, which is an integral part of the Moycarkey-Borris parish and has touched the lives of generations of pupils. It will be of interest to every home in the parish and beyond.

An ideal Christmas gift for those at home and abroad or those wishing to understand, more fully, Irish life during this period in Ireland’s past.

This excellent, in-dept and value for money publication is now on sale in the following outlets – Price €20

Pouldine School, O’Keeffes,  Horse and Jockey, Clohessy’s and Village Store – Littleton, Bookworm, Griffins, Lár na Páirce and Newswell Thurles Shopping Centre.

This book can also be ordered by Post (Price €25) from: Pouldine School History, Pouldine N.S., Thurles, Co. Tipperary.

Celine Kiernan and Finian O'Shea

The 2009 Reading Association of Ireland (RAI) Book Award winners were announced on Thursday, 24th September in St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra at the opening of “Literacy in the 21st Century: Perspectives, Challenges and Transformations,” RAI’s 33rd Annual Conference on Literacy.

Celine Kiernan was awarded the 2009 RAI Book Award by Mr Finian O’Shea, ( RAI Committee Member and Lecturer in Education) at the Church of Ireland College of Education, for her debut novel ‘The Poison Throne‘.
The Poison Throne is the first book in a trilogy and this novel, set in a fictionalized fourteenth-century Europe, is a remarkable combination of court intrigue, adventure and romance. Fifteen-year-old Wynter Moorehawke returns with her father to the Kingdom after a five-year long banishment. Much has changed in that time, religion and race have become divisive and fear and loathing commonplace. Forced to abandon her father, she and her friends attempt to restore the fragile kingdom to its former stability.

Conor Kostick and Finian O'Shea

For his body of work, including his latest children’s novel ‘Move’, Conor Kostick received the 2009 RAI Special Merit Award. In ‘Move’ Conor Kostick has created an alternative view of alternative worlds and brings the reader on an unforgettable journey of adventure. In this, his third book, (‘Epic’ 2004 and ‘Saga’ 2006) Conor presents the story of Liam who has the ability to move between universes. He uses this ability to his and his friends’ advantage by moving to the reality that presents the best chance of things going their way for them. But, there are consequences of many kinds of such moves and Conor crafts a wonderful story around this.

There were eighty-eight eligible books submitted for the RAI Children’s Book Awards in 2009. Publishers north and south of the border were represented with a sizable representation of books in Irish. The initial reading of the books by the RAI jury brought that total to twenty titles, representing books for the very young to books more suited to adolescents. Each of the titles was considered over several
meetings before arriving at a short list of six titles.

Each one of the shortlisted books is a winner as each represents superior excellence in writing and in publishing for children in Ireland and indeed the list is well worth noting with Christmas just thirteen weeks away.

The remaining books shortlisted for the 2009 RAI Children’s Book Award were:

THE STORY OF IRELAND. Author: Brendan O’Brien, Illustrator: The Cartoon Saloon Publisher: O’Brien Press.
ADOLF SNA hARDA. Author: Marvin Halleraker, Translators: Treasa Ní Bhrua agus Magnus Vestvoll Publisher: Cois Life.
WILD DUBLIN. Author: Éanna Ní Lamhna,  Photography: Anthony Woods Publisher: O’Brien Press.
HAL’S SLEEPOVER. Author: Maddie Stewart, Illustrator: Greg Massardier Publisher: O’Brien Press.

The RAI book awards were announced this year by Tipperary Comedian Pat Shortt .

RAI is anon-profit organisation whose primary aim is to promote and disseminate best practice in the teaching and study of literacy. It was founded in 1975 and is run on a voluntary basis by its members who comprise of educationalists at first, second and third-level. RAI is affiliated to the International Reading Association, a body with over 100,000 members worldwide. To find out more about RAI and its activities visit www.reading.ie.

From the author of  The Celtic Tiger: The Myth of Special Partnership (2000) and The Corporate Takeover of Ireland (2007) comes a new book entitled ‘Irelands Economic Crash’.

The author, Dr. Kieran Allen, a senior lecturer at the School of Sociology in University College Dublin,  recounts how a miracle economy turned into an economic disaster zone. While ordinary people suffer hardships, the government seeks solutions through  bailing out banks and imposing wage cuts, levies and reductions in basic public services. The result is a downward spiral with further unnecessary expenditure, skyrocketing health care costs, soaring personal debt and increased government spending.

Ireland’s Economic Crash is a call for new thinking about economic alternatives for Ireland’s future

In this damning critique, Dr Allen advocates a withdrawal of state support to private banks and the creation of a “good” public banking system. He calls for a scheme of public works to give jobs to the unemployed and to stimulate an economy on the verge of  extinction. He argues that those who made vast fortunes during the boom years should carry the cost of cleaning up the mess they largely created. Shifting from the local to global dimensions, Allen examines the reckless growth of our ‘casino economy’ where valuable resources were squandered by hedge funds and other financial speculators. He suggests that our current ‘for profit’ system is facing a deep, long-term crisis.

Written in a clear and very accessible style, this book backs up its claims using carefully marshalled evidence and logical argument, destroying  five myths about the Irish crash, including the belief that we  must all share  pain. It further goes on to propose specific solutions to our present crisis.

Dr Allen launched his book at a public meeting in Grants Hotel, Castle St., Roscrea, Co. Tipperary recently.